Burson and Carat, among others, emerged winners on day three of the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, with both names standing out in the festival’s major awards rundown. Carat was named Media Network of the Year, while Burson won the PR Grand Prix and also picked up Healthcare Agency of the Year.
Day three of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity rewarded campaigns that turned smart ideas into measurable impact, handing Grand Prix trophies to works that used data, media, direct response and PR in surprising ways.
The Creative Data Grand Prix went to “SOS POS” for BCP by Circus Grey, Lima, a simple but powerful idea that turned existing point-of-sale terminals into emergency account – blocking tools for victims of phone theft. The solution reached more than 34 million people in Peru and was praised for using data and everyday infrastructure to protect users at scale.
In Media, the top prize went to “Build Your Own Super Bowl” for Uber Eats by Special, Los Angeles. The campaign created a first-of-its-kind in-app restaurant where users could assemble their own Super Bowl commercial. Judges highlighted how the work blurred product and platform, turning commerce into communication and driving record sales through personalized engagement.
The Direct Lions Grand Prix was awarded to “Uva Uva Bombón” for UVA App by de la Cruz Ogilvy, San Juan. The challenger delivery app capitalized on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl moment to convert global cultural buzz into immediate downloads and orders, a textbook example of opportunistic, attention-to-action creativity.
PR’s Grand Prix went to “The KitKat Heist” for KitKat by Burson, London. The campaign transformed a theft into a global campaign that boosted brand perception and demonstrated how bold crisis handling can be turned into cultural momentum when every message is precisely calibrated.
Across the five shows on Wednesday, Creative Data, Media, Direct, PR and Social & Creator, juries handed dozens of Lions: Creative Data awarded 13 Lions (2 Gold, 4 Silver, 6 Bronze), Media 45 Lions (7 Gold), Direct 42 Lions (7 Gold), PR 37 Lions (7 Gold) and Social & Creator 44 Lions (8 Gold). The Social & Creator Grand Prix went to “Could Have Been a Heineken” for Heineken by LePub, Milan, a campaign that turned WhatsApp voice notes into prompts for meeting in person.
Jury presidents lauded work that solved human problems, collapsed marketing funnels and took risks that paid off. Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said the day’s winners showed “the power of creativity to drive growth for business, people and society.”
Special awards named OMD Worldwide second place in the Media Network of the Year category behind Carat, while PHD Worldwide came third. Golin Ketchum and Ninch Company clinched second and third respectively as Healthcare Agencies of the Year, behind Burson.
